Fourth Week

I have finished Liber Primus, and must say I was quite emotionally affected by the concluding events of the book. I was touched pretty strongly by the crowd of "friends" who helped Wart pull the sword from the stone, I had to take a break and dry my eyes. I particularly liked the juxtaposition between the first few attempts he made to pull the sword with brute strength, and the method with which he actually drew the sword, having heard the advice of the friends. I'm not sure whether the implication is that his friends granted him so much power that he was able to draw it so easily, or whether with the support of his friends he did not try to force the sword but just drew it "naturally". Following that scene, and continuing my emotional instability I suppose, I laughed at the phrase "...but, as the Wart was prepared to go on putting the sword into the stone and pulling it out again until Doomsday...". I could so easily see the Wart at the stone and anvil, perfectly willing to put the sword in the stone for each person to try and extricate, then pulling it out for them. I imagine him offering to give the sword to each person who tried to pull it and failed, but no one taking it because there were witnesses. I have enjoyed this first book immensely. One of the high points for me in the later chapters of the first book is the Badger's dissertation, and the ensuing discussion about kings vs. tyrants. I think it somehow fitting that man (as Wart) sees mankind as a king over nature, but nature (as Badger) conjectures man is a tyrant, based not on what man does, but on how nature responds to man, even when man is not exerting his "kingly" power over nature. One question I am thinking about is whether there is some greater importance to the gifts sent to Arthur. Most gifts sent by folks from the Castle of the Forest Sauvage seem to reflect the person who sent them, which seems simple enough and maybe that's the point. The gifts sent by Robin's group seem to be more "aggrandizing", the pine martin gown and a bow Little John must know is taller than Arthur, therefore Arthur should not use it, as he would be "boasting", right? The gift from Lyo-lyok in particular seems to represent something different. Remember the horror and dislike when Lyo-loyk understood what Wart meant by War? Why would she then send weapons made from her own feathers? I am way behind, and will be focusing this week on getting caught up. Folks should now be at around page 400 or a little farther along. By this coming Thursday (the 6th) folks should be finishing up the second book, "Queen of Air and Darkness". I invite everyone to send some text describing their own impressions of the book, and letting folks know where they are in the book.